Oct 18, 2012

09:35 AM

Mad for Morello!

I went to a press dinner at Morello Italian Bistro the other night, and even though I had to leave quite early (to catch the debate), I was so glad I attended. I’d forgotten what a lovely spot this is. (Back when the place was Gaia, my husband and I had a favorite table by the window from where we could survey most of the sparkling interior.)

The striking two-story space, a historical landmark, features large interior tile arches designed by Rafael Guastavino, Jr. (His father invented and patented this “Tile Arch System,” which can be seen at Beaux Arts landmarks such as the Oyster Bar in Grand Central and at Carnegie Hall, as well sites across the country.) The whole restaurant shimmers with light, and a newly designed open-air façade in the gorgeous bar/lounge area opens onto bustling Greenwich Avenue.

Chef Forrest Pasternack's menu has just about every dish, from minestre to gelato amaretto, that any Italian food lover could possibly want: stuffed mushrooms and calamari marinara, butternut squash ravioli and spaghetti carbonara, eggplant parmigiana and veal scallopini. And there are a host of other delicious items besides, popular dishes like a marvelous smoked salmon carpaccio, tuna tartare, beef short ribs and roasted Amish chicken under a brick.